Photographic retoucher.



lu/ouder No. 683,35I.

Patenrted Sept. 24, |90I. A. SWAN.

PHOTUGRAPHIC BETDUCHER.

(Applictinn Mod lay 20, 1901.

(No I'odel.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREWV SWAN, OF RHINELANDER, WISCONSIN.

PHOTOGRAPHIC RETOUCH'ER.

SPECIFICATION arming part of Letters Patent No. 683,351, dated september 24, 1901.

Application filed May 20, 1901. Serial No. 61,109. (No model.)

To all 'whm t may concern.-

Beit known that I, ANDREW SWAN, a citizen ot' the United States, residing at Rhinelander, in the county of Oneida. and State of Wisconsin, have invented cert-ain new and useful Improvements in Photographic Retouchers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appert-ains to make and use the same'.

The invention relates to photographic retouchers.

The objects of the invention are to provide means for reciprocating a pencil of lead, so as to obtain a stipple effect, with great rapidity of execution, to provide4 means for varying the rapidity of the stroke, and, finally, to provide means for varying the pressure of the stroke instantly without removing the hand from the tool or retoucher proper. The means employed comprise a small electric motor for propelling an air-pump,which producesa pulsating action on a body or column of air in the chamber or barrel of the retoucher proper to cause the reciprocation therein of a piston, which is provided with a hollow piston-rod constructed to hold a pencil-lead, whereby a rapid, short, and light blow may be delivered to the negative, thus depositing a series of small dots or stipples of lead on the negative, which produces the beautiful stipple effect so much admired.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis an elevation showing apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken through the motor, crank-disk or iiy-wheel, and air-pump. Fig. 3 is a top elevation of the switch. Fig. et is a longitudinal section taken through the barrel of the retoucher, showing it held in the hand to illustrate the simplicity with which the air-valve may be operated by the foreinger by moving the tinger backward or forward. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the retouchertool on an enlarged scale. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the same, and Fig. 7 is a detail perspective View of the guide-spider.

As shown in the drawings, I preferably employ a small electric motor 2 for driving a small air-pump, by which the retoucher-pencil is operated. The air-pump consists of a short cylinder 3, a piston 4, adapted to work therein and from which the connecting-rod 5 extends, and a crank-pin 6, provided with a crank or crank-disk 7, which is fixed to the armature-shaft of the motor. From the nipple 9 at the bottom of the cylinder a flexible pipe 10 leads t0.an attachment 11 on the upper end of the hollow handle, holder, or barrel 12 of the retoucher proper. This barrel is about the size and length of an ordinary pencil and owing tothe lightness of the material which is used in making the same is very little heavier than a pencil.

13 denotes a piston which its nicelyin the smooth-bored lower end of the barrel, the joints between the parts being air-tight. From the piston a piston rod 14 extends down through the center guide 15, provided in the lower end of the barrel. The upper end of the piston-rod is xed to a spider-ring 2l, which guides the piston in its movement. The greater part of the piston-rod is hollow, so as to receive a long lead 16, the lower end of which is nicely sharpened.

To control the rapidity of the strokes, I provide a switch A, which consists of a suitablyi mounted worm a', having a thumb-piece a2 for rotating it, and a worm-wheel B, having a finger b, which is adapted to be brought into engagement with the binding-posts C and held in electrical contact therewith by the worm. This contact may be poor, thus decreasing the speed of rotation yof the armature-shaft, or if the fingerl is moved tightly against said post to insure a good electrical contact of the finger with the post the speed of the motor will be correspondingly increased, thus giving me perfect control of the rapidity of movement of said lead.

In order that I may vary the force of the stroke of the lead, I employ an air-valve E, which consists of a metal strip e, mounted with sliding engagement on the lower or outer end of the barrel and adapted to open or close an aperture F formed inthe barrel, thus permitting me to increase or diminish the suction and compression of air within said barrel to vary the stroke of the lead. The strip e is preferably provided at one end with a collar e,which embraces a nipple 17 ,screwed onto the extreme outer end of the barrel, and is formed with a iinger-lip 18 for the tip of the foreiinger to rest upou, and is also provided withy an aperture 19, which ismad to register with or close the opening F in the barrel. A set-screw 20 may be employed for locking the valve in its adj usted position after the valve has been adjusted to give the desired stroke to the lead. This set-screw preferably works through the aperture in the strip and into a screw-threaded aperture in the barrel. It will thus be seen that not only have I produced a retouching device the movement of whose load is simply controlled, but I have produced also a device the stroke of whose lead may be variedat will and without the necessity of stopping the motor or of moving the hand from the retoucher tool proper, the only act requiredbeing to slightly. moveftherforeiinger to vary` the size of the aperture in the barrel or entirely close the same.

From the. foregoingA description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the. construction, mode of operatiomandadvantages. of my invention will bereadily understood without requiring amore extended i explanation. A j

Various changes in the form, proportion,` 5 and details of construction may bevmade with- 5 in the scope of the invention without departl .ing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the ;tionwith a'barrel, of apiston having secured to it so as to reciprocate therewith a hollow `piston-rod to receive the lead, means for cre ating an air -pressure and suction in alterna- ,tion to reciprocate the piston and its attached pencil-carrying rod, said barrel being provided near its lower end with an air-Vent, la :valve to open and close the air-vent, and a collar connected to the valve and embracing the barrel and provided with a finger-lip` whereby the valve may beoperated toopen Vand close the vent and thus regulatev the air pressure and suction within the barrel for'V varying the pressure of stroke of the pencil,- carrying rod, substantially asset forth.

In testimony whereof I. have hereunto set lmy handin presence of two subscribing wit.- nesses.

ANDREW SWAN.

Witnesses:

CARL KRUEGER, A. W. SHnL'roN. 

